HASTINGS — The head coaches for Saturday’s Nebraska 8-Man All-Star Game have pretty similar views on putting together talent.
Get good kids who will represent their community well and will make the game that features the state’s best small school players fun to watch. And, after just a few practices, Stuart’s Lance Howitt and Hartington-Newcastle’s Blair Kalin think accomplished that feat.
“So far, so good,” said Howitt, the West coach earlier this week. “We have been real impressed with how our kids have come into camp and worked so far.”
Kaelin echoed those comments and even joked when asked about a roster that includes six players who were quarterbacks for their high school team.
“I think you always try to get as many good athletes and solid football players as you can in a game like this,” said Kaelin, who led H-N to the playoffs in their first season as a cooperative school last fall. “You see the offensive position, but a bunch of those guys will be key players for us on defense as well.”
The talent that Howitt and Kaelin have to work with is plentiful, considering there are 16 players in the Saturday afternoon game that ran for over 1,000 yards last fall.
Five of those were over 2,000 yards including four players on the West team: Jaylon Sturdevant (Maxwell), Ethan Skinner (Hemingford), Trent Geiser (Anselmo-Merna) and Christian Best (Elm Creek).
That has given Howitt plenty of flexibility with his team. So much that he said Geiser may play solely on defense.
“We have a quite a few guys who would be capable back there,” Howitt said. “But we will probably play Trent at linebacker on defense. He is such a good athlete, it’s nice to have him there on that side of the ball.”
On the East side, Kaelin has some of the same luxury. With Fullerton’s Garrett Sonderup (2,319 yards) and Humphrey St. Francis’ back JJ Oltmer (1,978 yards) plan to be featured but a pair of other good running back have impressed Kaelin on defense.
“They have some really good backs on the west team,” Kaelin said. “I think we have some good ones, too. But, I’ve been real impressed with some of the guys we put on defense – Jesse Faltys and Carson Huenefeld – that are just real good athletes and have way to get to the football.”
Howitt said if you like watching good running back Hastings College might a good place to be come Saturday afternoon.
“I don’t know that we have ever had some many talented kids in this game,” he said. “If you like watching good running backs play this should be an exciting game to watch.”
The 24 man teams on each side reported to camp on Sunday evening for a week of practice and activities in Hastings. Kickoff for the 38th Annual Sertoma 8-Man All-Star game is at 1:30 on Saturday with live streaming on strivsports.com/live.
